::Connor: Anywhere But Here

[angel]

It truly was his son...Angel nearly couldn't believe it. It seemed so outlandish to simply run into his son randomly in a bar as if it were a normal occurrence. In all actuality there wasn't anything normal about this. The last time he'd seen his son had been back in Los Angeles. Connor had come to fight by his side against the one and only Marcus Hamilton. Connor had been knocked unconscious during the fight to which had proved to be Angel's weakness. After finally defeating Marcus, Angel had instructed his son to simply go home. He had wanted him to be safe and away from this life completely. To grow up and have a completely normal life away from all of the fighting. Connor had left and Angel had thought that this chapter of his life was over.

However clearly, it had just now been reopened and Angel couldn't be happier. Although he knew he should have told his son to go back home again, a selfish part of him was glad that he was here. It was nice to see him all grown up and looking so well. No longer had he been forced to fight along the side of evil. His eyes seemed a bit younger, if that was even possible or it was just his imagination, since he'd last seen him. It was probably only his imagination but he couldn't possibly be sure just yet. It would make sense, as Connor had moved on to have a normal life again. Knowing that it'd been in the best interest of his son had been the only thing to keep Angel from falling into a depression. Just when things had been going well between them for once, he'd told him to leave. However in the end it had been for the best and they'd both known it.

Seeing his son smile at him made everything seem like it'd been worth it. Connor hadn't smiled at him many times in the past, not genuinely at least. It felt good to be wanted by his son. As Connor flung his arms around him, Angel did the same. It seemed like such a natural father-son reaction and yet it hadn't ever been natural for the two of them. In Angel's mind, it was actually a bit of a small miracle for such to happen. Gripping him tightly, he took a moment to enjoy the simplicity and normality of the hug they shared. It was something he hadn't expected and yet was ultimately grateful for. Just by the grip he had on Angel, he knew his son was still as strong as ever. Either he'd kept up his fitness or he'd still be hunting. Either way it didn't matter much to him right now, not in this moment.

After a few moments their hug broke all too quickly. As his son pulled back, Angel couldn't help but have a grin on his face. "It's alright, how long have you been in town?" he asked him, still grinning. With this, he motioned for them both to take a seat at the bar. "Are you staying anywhere?..." he asked, his voice trailing off. He didn't order anything from the bar as he didn't feel like alcohol, and clearly they didn't serve pig's blood. Silently he wondered what would happen if he brought Connor back to the house. He would do it, as Connor was his son and he probably needed somewhere to stay. However it would certainly cause tension between not only him and Buffy, but him and Katheryn as well. They'd just have to deal with it though as Connor was his son and he wasn't going to turn him away.

::Tag:: Connor
::Word count::629
::Notes:: Sorry this took so long, I feel awful but I didn't see it!!
::Credit:: Jax

[/size]

[Connor Angel Reilly]

Nothing felt as amazing as his father hugging him close. For a heartbeat, Connor was that lost teenager again. Another heartbeat later and he felt like he was in the single digits. There was a level of comfort in his Dad's arms that sang to his heart and soothed his soul. The scent of vampire flooded his nose, followed on the tail of all the other notes that made up 'Dad'. To know everything was okay now, to see him with his own two eyes had Connor relaxing completely. They were never the hugging type before, but the Reillys were. And it seemed so second nature he couldn't stop the action, not that he wanted to. Chuckling under his breath, his own crooked grin matched his father's as he ruffled his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. "Couple days. I went looking for you when I first got in but I got distracted. Hung out with Faith for a bit." 'Distracted' being the lightest way he could put the whole situation. Between the dancing and the kissing and the fighting; 'Distraction' seemed such a mild way to put it. The Slayer had gotten under his skin in more than one way, and things were complicated to say the least.

Pushing the thoughts of Faith out of his mind for fear of his Dad seeing them swirl through his eyes and across his face, Connor happily took a seat down at the bar. "To be honest, no. I've been making do until I can figure out where I want to set up. Figures right? Plan a cross-country road trip perfectly and then forget the 'where am I staying' bit." He couldn't help but laugh at his rookie mistake, shaking his head in good spirits despite the minor hiccup. Turning his head to regard his father, Connor kept the good natured look on his face though he tempered it with something a little more serious. His voice was even, and sure of himself; a sensation the law student never though he would have had years ago. "I took the semester off. I wanted to see you. Get back into the fight." He laid it all out on the table, hoping against hope Angel would understand. It was impossible to watch the world sink under the weight of so much tragedy. And it was hell knowing you could stop it, should stop it; only if you'd get up and do something about it. He had come to the conclusion with Anne earlier, embracing that particular mantra and needing to fulfill it. He was a Good Man, and he was through having Evil win because he did nothing about it. "I can't sit by and watch other people suffer if I can help alleviate it. It's wrong. And I knew if I was getting back in, you'd want me close. Keep an eye on me and all."

His face lightened into smart ass lines, as the smirk coiling on his lips gave extra dimension to his words. He knew Angel would hate the thought of him going out and not being able to have his son's back. It was something he was pretty sure Angel had done back in L.A. and he doubted the old vampire was going to fall out of his set ways. So he'd tease his Dad a little, get the guy to know that Connor not only understood why he did it, but that he didn't harbor any ill will over it. With a nod to the 'tender, he pushed his empty glass over to the side. He still wanted something to drink but after the other night, alcohol was not happening. It brought out the trouble in him, and the echoes of his demonic heritage. And while he knew he didn't have to worry about making his current companion uncomfortable; Connor was more concerned over the potential of his tongue loosening and spilling every detail of the other night to his Dad.

Cause that wouldn't be mortifying at all…

::stop:: Not to worry honey! ^w^
::look:: Outfit and Car
::listen:: Turn Me On by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj
::you're it:: Angel
::the credit:: Jess <3

[/color][/center][/blockquote]

[angel]

Angel was hugging his son, Connor. Why did that seem to strange? Probably because they'd never really done it before. While most fathers would think it natural to hug their soon, it had at first taken him a bit off guard. However after only a moment the taken aback feeling had surpassed and he was at peace once again. Well the most at peace Angel could ever be, considering that he hadn't yet atoned for his sins enough to have the curse made permanent or have the Shansu prophecy fulfilled. The vampire wasn't about to complain about it as he knew he deserved the curse in every way possible. Plus honestly the gypsies had gotten him pretty good with that one, he had to give them credit. The one thing in the world he wanted so badly it killed him he couldn't have. They were a spiteful people, though smart ones nonetheless.

Listening to his son carefully, he shifted in his seat so that he was sitting facing Connor a bit better. At hearing Faith's name brought into the conversation his eyebrows arched for a moment, before going back to normal. He simply hadn't been expecting that, at all. "I'm surprised she didn't tell me...we patrolled together tonight" he told Connor, seemingly trying to wonder why she wouldn't have found it important to let him know his son was in town after months of not seeing him. Didn't that seem just a little important? It did to him at least. "We split up just before I came inside here. What did you guys do?" It probably wasn't his business, but he wasn't asking as if interrogating his son. Instead he was simply curious. He wanted to know anything and everything his son had been up to while they'd been apart. Even though they might not have the best history, he still loved his son and that would never go away. Even if he did lock him in the ocean and try to kill him. No big whoop.

Although Connor didn't say anything, his eyes seemed to avoid Angel's for a moment as he said Faith's name. It didn't register at first but the more he thought about it the more he realized that it was a bit strange. What had happened with Faith that he hadn't wanted to talk about? Usually he would have just asked her, but she didn't appear to be telling him things lately. Interesting. He'd find out later. For now, he just wanted to catch up with Connor.

Without even hesitating, Angel spoke up about Connor's lack of a place to stay. "You'll come home with me. Faith stays there too. Actually, a lot of people do. It's a very large house" he said with a small chuckle. Only after he finished speaking did he realize the repercussions that would ensue of Connor staying there. While she might not like to think so, he knew it'd upset Buffy to see his son. She'd just have to get over it though because he was his son and he had to take care of him. If Connor refused, he'd probably end up dragging his ass back there anyways.

In a way, Connor's reason for coming here was not only selfless but courageous as well as valiant. On the other hand, the father in him made him want to smack the boy. "Connor. Evil will always be here, you should be focused on school." A part of him was internally grinning though as he was proud of his son, but school should have still come first in the long run. Deciding his son wouldn't listen to him anyways, Angel nodded. "I understand. You're kind of like me that way" he said with a tiny smile, though his son had clearly been pecking at him about the staying close thing. So what if he was over protective? It was better than not caring at all.

As if that was possible.

::Tag:: Connor
::Word count::695
::Notes:: ----
::Credit:: Jax

[/size]

[Connor Angel Reilly]

When Angel mentioned patrolling with Faith, Connor felt tension begin to blossom at the apex of his shoulders. He didn't feel ashamed; far from it if he was to be honest. Faith was strong, beautiful, fearless and a multitude of other adjectives that never quite fit her perfectly despite how much he tried to find the right ones. Kissing her was divine, his hands gliding over her skin was a balm on a wound that he so desperately needed. So how could he explain that her touch was one of the few things that kept him up at night to his Dad when it seemed like she was hiding it. In the midst of all of the developing seedling of affection for the Dark Slayer, Connor allowed himself pause. There was a chance she was ashamed of him, hiding what happened like others had done with him before. Like Cordy did in the beginning. So while cautioning himself mentally to keep his head in the proverbial game, he made sure his words stayed even as well. "Guess it didn't come up. Maybe she didn't think it was that big of a deal?"

His words were dismissive, albeit a quick slash of pain across the gut. Taking a soft breath of air to settle his nerves, Connor pushed forward through the tangled social web he had somehow stumbled into. "I met up with her at the house and we went to the club. Had a few drinks and blew off some steam after the long car ride." Connor's gaze lifted off the table to look up at his father with a wry smile teasing his lips. The longer he picked this apart in his mind the more uncertain he was becoming. But to go from her whimpering against his lips to being so dismissive of him wasn't completely out of character for Faith, even if Connor wanted to believe there was something more. Giving himself a mental shake, his face brightened a lot when his Dad offered to let him stay at the house.

"That would be amazing Dad, thanks." The idea of living with the vampire seemed to breathe new life into the Destroyer, and Connor couldn't help but chuckle softly and roll his eyes. "Dad, I'm in the Top Ten Percentile, I've never had my GPA dip below a 3.5 and I had to get away from Natalie." His voice didn't so much trail off into silence as drop about an octave and fill with a type of acceptance in loss. It was definitely something that was bothering him, something he needed to get away from. "Figured I should do some good if I was turning tail. Ya know?" Looking up at one of the two men he idolized, Connor let his eyes fill with the years of his experiences with that same wry smile on his lips. Lightly stained with world-weariness yet still hopeful at it's core. "Yeah? I'm… really like you? Good." Connor remarked, a snarky light glinting through his eyes before he knocked his shoulder against his Dad's lightly. "I've still got better hair." He missed this; the teasing that the pair of them had before Holtz had to ruin everything and what they had at Wolfram & Hart before and after Hamilton. It seemed like they both needed it, and Connor wanted more than anything for his Dad to know exactly how much the past was behind them and how much he missed the vampire. If he was lucky, he would catch onto the unspoken conversation… We're good, Dad.

::stop:: Late but full of love and missing you! <3<3
::look:: Outfit and Car
::listen:: Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson
::you're it:: Angel
::the credit:: Jess <3

[/color][/center][/blockquote]

[angel]

Not a big deal? Angel hadn't seen his son in how long, and that wasn't a big deal? No that couldn't possibly be the reason. For a moment he saw a glimpse of something in his son's eyes. Honestly it just made him curious, it made him wonder. It almost seemed like he was hiding something but what could it have possibly been? He had only just arrived here not too long ago, he couldn't have secrets already. However perhaps that was Angel simply trying to be somewhat optimistic. To look for the good in things, instead of immediately assuming the bad. Although there was definitely a reason he looked to the bad first, instead of the good. And the reason was simple; because more bad things seemed to happen in his life rather than good ones. While it might seem pessimistic he doubted anyone who truly knew him would argue that fact. With the people he knew though, that wasn't exactly a sure bet.

Nonetheless he couldn't help but allow one of his eyebrows to arch slightly. Only a tiny bit to where it was barely noticeable, though it was. It indicated that he'd seen that little look Connor had given, the one he hadn't wanted his father to see. "I haven't seen you in months...trust me, it's a big deal" he said simply, his voice drifting off as he tried to think of a possible reason as to why she wouldn't tell him. Nothing came to mind honestly, other than Connor telling her not to which obviously wasn't the case. It made him suspicious...though he was probably just over analyzing things like usual.

Again the vampire felt his eyebrows raising. Except this time, both of them raised at the exact same time and were quite obvious about it. "Been drinking a lot lately?" he asked in his dad tone, which he hadn't gotten to use in quite awhile. It kind of felt good how it simply hummed right out of his throat. Low, and utterly protective, even annoyingly so if that was possible. Although he didn't find it annoying, Connor probably did. However what child wasn't occasionally annoyed by their parent? Angel had literally always been annoyed with his own father...so that was because his father was a drunk, not overprotective.

Nodding his head, he didn't feel the need to tell him he was welcome. Honestly he didn't even need to be thanked. He wouldn't be a good father if he hadn't offered. It was simply in his blood. Which was surprising, considering he'd never, ever thought that he would be one. Now that he'd been a father..he couldn't imagine his life the way it used to be. Granted he hadn't been with his son for too long of his life, though it wasn't his fault, or his choice, at all. "Don't roll your eyes. It's important, you're education should always be first. After saving the world, that is" he said with a tiny chuckle, a small smirk tugging at his cheeks. Hearing about how successful the boy was, his smirk soon grew into a smile. "Good. I'm proud of you" he told his son seriously, giving him a small pat on the back. Not too hard, as it felt a bit strange to him as it was.

After a moment he realized what Connor had said at the end of his sentence. He'd been too proud of the GPA and top ten thing to fully realize at first. A questioning look came across his handsome features. "Natalie?" he simply said, not wanting to ask too much of Connor. If he wanted to talk about it, he would, simple enough. Nodding that he did know what he meant, he realized he probably shouldn't encourage his son to fight evil. Whatever. Bit too late for that. "What's that supposed to be mean?" he asked, though he was only joking. Hearing the comment about hair, his eyes slid to the side to look at his son without actually turning his head. "You wish."

::Tag:: Connor
::Word count::705
::Notes:: ----
::Credit:: Jax

[/size]

[Connor Angel Reilly]

Running his hand roughly through his hair, eyes temporarily far away. This wasn't fair. Not to his Dad, not to the person he should be able to count on when things got rough. But they never had that relationship before. It seemed bizarre to try and have one now, but maybe that was exactly what he needed. When Angel mentioned it was a big deal, Connor smiled wryly again before rolling his eyes at the next comment. "Dad, seriously. I'm twenty-one. Almost twenty-two. I drink responsibly. Never enough to get sick, never when I'm driving. I'm smarter than that." That fact that this situation with Faith had him wanting to drink more lately was enough to set his teeth on edge however. But he didn't want to fall into that kind of a habit, or god help him, resemble the dead beat she was choosing over him…

"I know, Dad. But I'm fine. Honest. I just… I can't go back right now." There was so much wretched that had begun to pile up, and he didn't even notice it until this conversation with his father. Nat, Faith, hell he wished he could say the pressure of school but that wasn't it. School wasn't a problem, neither was being a friend or brother. It was this constant 'never enough' that had begun to poke it's little head up into his life. It wasn't as though few people found him attractive; he had his fair share of interested offers. It was that the ones he really wanted seemed to prefer their men fanged and mildly emotionally abusive. The urge to track down Spike and beat the ever loving snot out of him was almost overpowering. He didn't deserve her; not after Connor started to learn more about him by digging around. He discarded Faith to the side so easily when he came up onto the pair of them, so willingly throwing her away for what, his wounded ego? It was disgusting and childish and pathetic. But… that's what was gonna get the girl. Maybe he should start being an asshole obsessed with getting his rocks off. Seemed to work, time and time again…

When he realized he mentioned the Natalie thing outloud, Connor decided to lay it all bare. Holding up his hand for a glass of ice water, he spun the drink around in his hands once it arrived. Gaze firmly in the water, studying the crackling ice in extreme detail. "Natalie… Nat was a girl back home. Went to school with her. She was, well perfect. Beautiful, smart, but away from this whole world. My whole world… she didn't know a damned thing about it and I was okay with that. Then… well, I guess she got Called. Guess she was a Potential. And soon thereafter, I get ditched for a vampire. Because I wasn't 'Monster Enough' for the girl. And then, god with Faith…" Pushing the water to the side without taking a drink, Connor hung his head, placing it firmly in his hands. Elbows on the bartop, he winced and took a deep breath. Could he do this? Probably not, but he didn't have a choice.

"When I first got here, I headed to the Boarding House. Followed my nose to you. And when I got there I didn't know if you were supposed to be there, so I panicked and asked for Faith. She met up with me, and immediately steered me to the car. So we went to a local club. And damnit Dad, everything was perfect. She was beautiful and flirting with me and for once I thought I really had a chance with someone who mattered. Someone I wanted. And we danced… and kissed. A lot. We completely fell into and against each other until she noticed a vamp take a girl outside. So she took off, and I followed. And even fighting, we fell completely into step. After they all dusted, we were up against the wall kissing again. Maybe I should have realized she didn't want me. Maybe I was just… being a fucking idiot…" Letting go off his head, Connor pressed the palms of his hands against the bartop edge. Squeezing steadily, the stone groaned before he let go, snarling softly. Not damaging anything beyond repair, but needing the strain in his hands.

Placing his left arm flat against the bar, Connor braced his head back in his right hand, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Spike showed up. Apparently the pair of them have, or had, probably still have, a thing. He hit me, and then scented the air and walked away. Completely abandoning her to have her chase after him like a goddamned Dog! It was disgusting! But it broke a part of her. And I couldn't… I can't see her cry Dad. I can't see her hurt." There was nothing he could do, nothing he could say or try to fix it. Things were set in stone and it didn't matter what he wanted. "Not human enough for the human girls, not monster enough for the supernatural girls. Guess I know where that leaves me…" With a soft curse under his breath, Connor could feel his eyes darkening over. What could he do except solider on. It was all he had left. Pinning his resolve to the sticking place, Connor turned his face towards his father. Bitter pain sang in his eyes, alongside quiet acceptance. "See why I need to fight Dad? I need to matter. I need to serve a purpose. Even for a few brief and shining moments, I need to be something to someone or I'll lose my damned mind. Have you ever loved someone enough to walk away? To stand by the sidelines and watched them live their life happily now that you weren't in it?"

::stop:: Sorry I didn't finish this sooner, honey. I wanted to see how Forever Young was gonna turn out so I didn't RP inconsistency here. ^^;;
::look:: Outfit and Car
::listen:: Apologize by Timbaland and One Republic
::you're it:: Angel
::the credit:: Jess <3

[/color][/center][/blockquote]

[angel]

Looking into his son's eyes he couldn't help but remember when he'd first been born. After taking him home and out of the alley when Darla had staked herself, things had gotten very hard very quickly. Never had he realized just how difficult parenting was until he'd been forced into the role. Mister Dad.. He could remember standing next to Connor's bassinet (well, his makeshift bassinet which was actually a dresser drawer) and attempting to get him to stop crying with the use of a teddy bear. He could remember trying to get Connor to take the bottle, even drinking a bit himself to try and entice the baby. It had tasted god awful...but he'd been willing to do whatever it took to take care of his son. All of the baby faces and voices he'd used and finally it seemed it'd been working. Finally he got into the rhythm of being a father and just then, right after, his son was taken from him.

Even when his son got back...let's just say it wasn't easy. There were countless arguments and fights, even physical fights. Angel had at first been surprised when he fought his son. Not only his overall strength and endurance but his technique...he was built to fight. Hence why they probably called him the Destroyed in his previous dimension. Obviously because of age and experience Angel had come out on top but it had sometimes been closer than he would have liked. However the point was, was that he was amazed to see him sitting here with his son like this after all they'd been through. The mere fact that they had gotten over all of it was a big enough feat...but to be civil and even... surprisingly friendly, was a welcoming outcome for him.

Being brought back into focus at his son's voice, his eyes narrowed in on the boy. Despite never having been there until recently his paternal inscint was still extremely strong. Almost as if he'd been meant to be a father...or he'd just had more than enough experience from Katheryn. Either way he couldn't help but give him a small threatening look. "And son, seriously. I don't want to see you drinking a lot." With this he waved off the bartender whom had returned to see if Connor wanted refills. He simply told him they were fine and the bartender offered Connor a weird look before disappearing. Sliding his eyes back to his son, he simply shrugged. "What? Twenty-two or not, that doesn't give you a free pass. Don't make me have to kick your ass..." he said with a small smirk. Of course he was simply teasing Connor. More than likely it'd get the boy all fired up looking for a sparring match. Which was fine with Angel, as long as it wasn't drunk sparring.

Seeing the look in Connor's eyes as he told him he couldn't go back to school just yet, Angel simply nodded. While he felt like being a good father wasn't important that didn't mean he had to badger the boy. After all something seemed to be going on internally within him. Perhaps he needed a break after all. Plus everyone knew that beating the crap out of something certainly was a stress reliever. Maybe Connor was just what this town needed. However that also didn't mean he wasn't going to keep a very, very close watch on his baby boy...

Watching as his son ordered a glass of water, he noticed something else in his eyes; defeat. Something had defeated him and since he seemed to look fine...it meant he was emotionally defeated. Although he wouldn't ask or push him he did want to know. He cared about him more than anyone...Well that at least explained Natalie to him. "I'm sorry Connor...Apparently she wasn't the one for you. There will be others. My son is very handsome, takes after his father." Although he offered his son a light smile, he knew it more than likely wouldn't be returned. Which was okay. He was simply trying to comfort him with the joke. He understood how hurt his son was just by seeing his eyes.

His eyebrows raised when he heard the name of the brunette slayer. "Faith? What about Faith..." he said, wondering just how she'd been brought into this conversation. To say it lightly he was pretty damned confused. It actually seemed quite random to him. A club? Well, that sounded like Faith...As he continued to listen he leaned in a bit closer to his son. His eyes were locked into his, desperately hoping this wasn't headed where he thought it was headed. Kissed...a lot? No, that can't be right...she wouldn't. Angel's lips parted slightly as if he was going to talk, but quickly closed them as Connor continued to explain.

Watching his son struggling to continue and even forcing his strength against the bar top, instinctively his hand reached out to lay on top of the boy's shoulder. This wasn't going anywhere could, it appeared the brunette had led him on. Spike? Not only was Spike sleeping with Faith..but he was hitting his son as well? He was beyond dead. No, he would be blowing in the wind the next time they met. "Guess I'll be seeing Spike soon" he said, growling through his teeth. Anger flashed in his eyes. He had hurt his family, his only child. There was nothing anyone could do to stop Angel now. He'd had his reasons before, and this only intensified his hatred towards the other vampire."And Faith" he snarled, angry that she'd led him on. A part of him was slightly angry as well that she'd essentially been sleeping with the enemy...

"Connor..." he said, giving his son's shoulder a quick squeeze before letting his head drop down to it's previous stance. He was beyond pissed....His next words hit Angel hard. Immediately Buffy rang out in his mind.."I have. Part of it is being a better man, Connor. Sometimes you have to step aside and watch...sometimes you just have to. It's a part of being a good man. It's a part of being an O'Connor" he said huskily, proud to call his son by his actual last name. Despite all of this, he felt the anger within him brewing closer to the surface.

There would be consequences for both Spike, and Faith, the next time they all met.

::Tag:: Connor
::Word count::1,125
::Notes:: Do you want to make your next post an ender? That way we can start the group thread where he brings Connor home. Gonna bring Faith into the mix. Angel is beyond angry...he needs to yell at someone (Faith).
::Credit:: Jax

[/size]

[Connor Angel Reilly]

"Alright, Dad." Connor murmured, eyes tracing every nick and chip on the bar top caused by so many other men crying over so many other dames. A faint smile even haunted his face, grateful his father was being so, well fatherly. It felt as though something profound was wheedling in at the edge of his consciousness, settling along his shoulders to weigh in comforting stability. He had someone, he had his Dad. And he had a new friend, which was a start. That's what he was after, wasn't it? A new start.

Taking a deep breath, Connor pulled his shoulders tight before closing his eyes for a heartbeat. Hearing what Angel had to say gave him a semblance of strength, something the younger man needed. Nodding to what he was saying, Connor let out his held breath and softly responded, "I know. But it still stings. And of course we're handsome. The superpowers are there to ensure we're mildly untouchable. Adds to the mystique…" It was a pathetic attempt at humor. It was an attempt to pull himself up and out of this funk. He was better than this, and he could almost envision Faith playfully smacking him on the back of his head for being such a stick in the mud. And with the thought of the beautiful brunette, back his mood plummeted. Can't catch a break, can you, Boyo?

When Angel rested a hand on his shoulder, Connor tilted his head to rest his cheek against it. The cool temperature of his father's skin was a comfort, one that shouldn't considering what such body heat meant. But it was a balm that spoke to his soul, and a child's dream with a funny man who's face shifted to chase the bad dreams and fear away. It was everything that meant 'Daddy' and 'Safe' and most importantly 'Home'. Letting his eyes fall shut and his hair pool over his shoulder and his father's wrist, Connor let the tension ooze out of his body, taking years off the jaded and pained exterior. When he growled about Spike, Connor answered in kind; a lion cub echoing his father's roar. But when he mentioned Faith, Connor raised his head up to blink up at Angel with large blue eyes. "Please don't be hard on her Dad. I could never be upset with her. But I seriously wanna fucking stake Spike." At the squeeze on his shoulder, Connor turned to face Angel giving him the full attention of a boy seeking wisdom where he had none of his own.

"That's why I let her go. It doesn't matter if I love her, or could have loved her. I would rather have her smile and be happy then be selfish. It's not me. I understand that at the end of the day, I'm not enough." His thoughts began to run away from him, as the barbed wire coiled tighter around his heart. He wasn't enough for Sunny; she was his first kiss and his first insight into this new world and she would rather slide that poison filled needle in her arm than be with him. He wasn't enough for Cordy; the real Cordelia was in love with his father at the time, and it was the fallen power that used him to conceive her. He wasn't enough for Tracy; after all who could pass up on a bad boy bassist who had a thing for his groupies and his blow. He wasn't enough for Natalie; since she needed something darker, and chose a soulless vampire fledgling. And he wasn't enough for Faith; after all why would she chose some deluded kid over yet another vampire?

But one thing struck him, one thing cut past his self-loathing to ease against his wounded pride and damaged heart. Looking up, gaze soft, Connor smiled a little at his father's confession. "O'Connor. Good Irish Name." Picking up his previously discarded water, Connor drained the glass before coming to his feet. Thanks to brown pop and water, not concerned in the least about the absolute lack of intoxication, he pulled out his keys and nodded to the door. "Come on, Dad. Let's go Home."

::stop:: Onto the Massive Family thread? ^w^
::look:: Outfit and Car
::listen:: Silence… and then my leftovers heating in the microwave and it's timer scaring me… >.<
::you're it:: THE END!!
::the credit:: Jess <3

[/color][/center][/blockquote]

[ADMIN BRITT]